Outside the Box
by Roguie
Summary: Connor and Abby are up to something, and Jess thinks she knows what it is. They're prepping for a new addition - Jess can't possibly let them go it on their own… can she? Secrets, meddling and fluff by the truckloads ahead…


Title: Outside the Box

Author: SunSpecOps/ Danae Bowen/ Roguie

Fandom: Primeval

Characters: Connor/Abby, Jess, Becker, etc.

Rating: K+ maybe Teen at the worst

A/N: Written for **prehistoriccat** 's birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Sending you love and best wishes and wishing you loads of creative goodies to help you celebrate! :D As to the rest of you readers? Not going to tell you her prompt until the end, afterall where would be the fun in that?

A/N2: Special thanks to **wilemina_29** for the quick and skilful read over, making sure my dollars were pounds and department stores were wiped clean from the fiction. :D Couldn't do without you! All remaining errors are my own… when in doubt, just blame the fact I'm Canadian. :P~

Summary: Connor and Abby are up to something, and Jess thinks she knows what it is. They're prepping for a new addition - Jess can't possibly let them go it on their own… can she? Secrets, meddling and fluff by the truckloads ahead… and maybe just a wee little mention of sex. :P~ Set between the end of S4 and the beginning of S5, so there are no S5 spoilers.

Disclaimer: Primeval quite obviously doesn't belong to me - I just like to borrow the characters and mutate their inner voices… needs… wants… desires… I've always put them back before, this time is no different. Please don't sue - my house is small, my car is useless and my dogs are pains in the arse, but they're all I have.

~~~9

She didn't question it the first time she caught them sneaking quietly into the flat, unable to hide the sounds of plastic shopping bags crinkling as they dashed into their room.

She never made a sound as Connor struggled in the next day, a large box balanced awkwardly in his arms as he used his body to block her view, closing his bedroom door quickly behind him.

It wasn't until she came home from the ARC early one afternoon that she finally realized something strange was going on. She entered the apartment silently, attempting to slink unnoticed to her room, as on several previous occasions that she'd come home early she'd walked in on scenes in her lounge that porn directors would be proud to put to screen. At first she'd thought today would be no different, wondering what Connor and Abby could be up to that would cause such a racket as was coming from the lounge. It took a moment for her to remember that Abby was still at the ARC, detained, she'd said by a corrupted file that catalogued and recorded all the creatures in the menagerie.

With a tiny frown curling down her pretty lips, Jess moved silently until the lounge was in view. Connor sat in the middle of the floor, surrounded by pieces of plastic and what appeared to be the beginnings of some sort of a small railed wall on his legs. He was engrossed so deeply in the instruction manual that he failed to notice Jess moving deeper into the room, the tiny brunette slipping just close enough that she could see the picture on the side of the semi-discarded cardboard box.

Her mind was still trying to come to grips with the picture of a child's playpen she'd seen as Connor's mobile rang. Just by the gentle smile that crossed his features, Jess knew who was calling.

"Hey," his grin faltered as he looked at the pieces with a slight expression of guilt. "Well, not as great as I'd like it to." He paused. "Dunno, really. Tomorrow, maybe? I'd really best clean this up before Jess gets home, or we'll both be answering questions we're not really ready for." He cocked his head to the side as he listened to her. "How about a little faith here, Abs? You know I'm just as excited as you. I can't wait to hear the scurry of little feet running about the flat. Be like the old days, you 'n me 'n our lot against the world." He grinned again. "I'll get it done, no worries." Pause. "Yup, I'll be waiting. Oh, hey, Abs? Think we can go 'round that toy shop downtown? I saw the coolest stuffed triceratops that they're gonna love!"

Jess backed out of the room, grinning to herself. Bags from Mothercare? Playpen? Stuffed animals? She had to stop the squee from crossing her lips as she put two and two together. She'd gathered her purse in a flash and was out the door, dialling Becker's mobile by heart as she moved.

"Hey, it's me. Change of plans."

Quickly she filled him in on what she'd seen and heard and told him where to meet her. Despite his quiet, "Jessica," she had him on the hook and it took less than an hour to turn her sudden excitement into three over flowing shopping bags of soft fabrics and pale colours.

Once her purchases were secured in the back of Becker's truck, she grabbed his arm and pulled him towards a restaurant.

"Right, now that that's taken care of, I'm all yours."

It took a moment for her own words to sink in, and as they did a red flush crept up her neck, staining her pretty face. The deeper she flushed, the wider grew the lopsided grin that broke over Becker's stoic features.

"I believe I was promised food, the rest we can discus after."

At a loss for words, Jess blushed again, slapped his arm lightly, glanced down towards the sidewalk and smiled.

This had turned out to be a great day.

"What's up with Jess?" Connor asked quietly, his lips next to Abby's ear as the brunette turned their way for the fifth time in twenty minutes, flashed them a huge grin and her dark eyes dampened. "I know she's always been kinda girly, but this is a little, I dunno, extreme, even for her."

Abby snorted softly, eyeing Jess cautiously as she leaned back into Connor. "She practically followed me to the bathroom this morning, and offered to help. Be grateful she only cries when she sees you."

"Do you think aliens have taken her over and this is pod people Jess?"

Abby chuckled before catching sight of Becker entering the control room. "Then your pod people took Becker too. How many times has he slapped your back today?"

Connor shifted uncomfortably, dropping his voice to just above a whisper. "I dunno, but I think he's left a bruise!"

"You're right. Something's going on."

He shrugged. "I'm telling you. Pod people."

She watched silently as Becker moved to Jess's side, the brunette leaning into him as they both turned to grin at Connor and Abby across the room.

"Right. Pod people."

"D'you think we oughta tell Lester?"

Abby laughed softly as she walked away. "I'm not that convinced, Conn."

Okay, generally speaking it goes without saying that when sharing a flat, you don't go poking around in someone else's bedroom, but if they left the door ajar and say, air displaced by someone walking by were to cause that door to swing inwards, looking inside to make sure nothing fell over isn't wrong, is it?

Regardless, Jess drank in the sight of the now fully assembled play pen filled with blankets and soft toys, tears filling her eyes again. She couldn't be wrong now, this proved it.

Even if the playpen technically wouldn't be needed for at least six months.

And what was with that hard rubber dinosaur?

She shook her head softly. Thankfully, she'd purchased a more appropriate selection of toys for her friends as they obviously didn't have the first clue about what they were doing.

Wait.

Unless they were adopting?

Jess brought a hand up to her forehead and sighed. Adoption would make so much more sense, given their lifestyle and rapid preparation time.

"Crap!" She whispered, turned on her heel and headed back to the shops. Whomever they were bringing home as their new addition, Jess was determined to be prepared.

"Jess backed off any?" Connor asked Abby quietly.

"Not a step. This is next to impossible to get done with her watching my every move."

"D'you think she suspects?"

Abby laughed. "There's nothing to suspect, Connor, we've not even loaded your program into the system yet." Her tone was pointed, making Connor cringe slightly.

"Are we ready, then? If I load the program, you have to be ready tomorrow night or I'll have half of security coming down on me head when the original program runs the next day, finding that tiny little discrepancy."

No one noticed as Jess rolled her chair back several feet, making it look as if she'd moved to talk to a techie, when really she'd just rolled into hearing range.

"I say we're as ready now as we'll ever be, Conn."

"Right. So. Tomorrow night, then."

Abby nodded. "Tomorrow night."

Connor paused a moment then spun suddenly on his chair, a huge grin breaking across his features. "I seriously cannot wait!"

Abby wrapped her arms around him from behind, leaning down to rest her chin on the top of his head as both their eyes travelled to the monitors at Abby's desk.

"The last missing piece to our family," she murmured quietly, voice filled with such longing that Jess's eyes filled with tears and Connor's hand rose to cover Abby's on his chest.

Jess moved back to the ADD control center, fingers trembling as her heart both broke and soared for her friends at the same time. She had to make tomorrow special, after all they'd been through, they deserved nothing less.

They lay in bed, hearts beating heavily as they watched the city lights break the dark night.

"Is the program running?"

"Yeah. By morning the computer will have no knowledge of their existence."

"How long does that give me?"

"You'll have to have them out before the five pm bio scan or they'll come up as unregistered life forms and initiate the lockdown procedure."

"You couldn't've written out that bit, could you?"

"It's not like I had a lot of time, is it? I did me best, now we've got to work around it."

She sighed and rested her head against his chest. "You did great, Conn. I'm just a bit frantic."

He grinned in the dark. "I bet a bit of properly mind blowing sex'd calm you right down."

"Go to sleep."

"But…"

She silenced him with a kiss before settling down, tucking her head up under his chin. "Tomorrow, everything changes."

He nodded slightly, waiting for her breathing to even out before rolling his eyes and sighing. "That's why there should've been sex tonight."

"I heard that."

"Did you change your mind, then?"

"Connor, sleep."

He sighed. "Well, bugger."

He twitched.

She jumped.

He spun in his chair.

She paced the hall.

He coughed, cracked his fingers and rubbed the back of his neck.

She scowled in his direction.

"Would you calm down?"

He glanced around the control room. "Don't you think it a bit suspicious that it's four in the afternoon and nobody is here?"

"Security's here. B team is here. It's not like people have just run off 'n left everything behind. It's been dead quiet today, Conn, they're likely just taking advantage."

"Right. On the exact day we need secrecy to pull this off, everyone just up 'n decides to nip home for a kip?"

"I don't know. Maybe. Doesn't matter anyway, does it? Just watch the cameras 'n make sure I don't get caught."

As she walked away, Connor snorted softly. "No one left to catch you, is there, then? Unless we're about to find Lester sneaking in to visit the mammoth, 'n that's a little creepy weird if you ask me."

"Connor!"

"Right. This is me watching the screens. Just, watch out for slimy alien pods, would you do?"

When he received no reply, he turned to watch her progress on the internal monitors. They had twenty minutes to finish what they'd started, then he'd meet her in the truck and the journey they'd started the day they'd opened they anomaly to bring them home would finally be complete.

He breathed deeply, whispering into his comm. "Y'know, this is more sneaking about then I'm entirely comfortable with."

She chuckled softly, her husky voice sending gentle shivers down his spine. "It's worth it, though, isn't it?"

He grinned and chuckled back. "I'll let you know when we've gotten away with it."

"Which we're just about to do. I'm at the loading bay doors. Flip the switch and get out of there."

For once, Connor wasted no time in doing what he'd been asked.

Everything had gone according to plan. Security never thought to question them as they left the ARC, traffic was unusually light, getting them home in record time, and even as excited as they all were to be together, that excitement remained contained throughout the entire trip, and lasted until they stood on the threshold of their flat.

Connor held a plastic laundry basket, covered lovingly with a warm blanket, while Abby held a small fruit crate, covered the same. She opened the door for them and allowed Connor in first, grinning as he headed straight to their bedroom. They needed to explain to Jess, but had originally figured it would be easier to pull off without her knowledge. The less she knew, the less she'd be able to be questioned about had they gotten caught - but now that they were home, all would come free.

Abby followed Connor to the bedroom, placing her crate on the bed before grinning. "I'm going to see if Jess is home. You get this lot settled."

He returned her grin, removing the blanket from the box as she left the room. She heard the chuffs of glee and Connor's laughter as she closed the door behind her, her heart tugging at her to stay, but first things first.

"Jess?"

She'd not looked into the lounge, having moved straight to her bedroom, so when she stepped out into the open, the sudden flash of lights and half a dozen friendly faces pulled the colour from her face and flushed adrenaline through her veins. Her jaw dropped as she looked up to see the homemade banner that read, "Congratulations Connor and Abby!", and her face flushed deeply.

She swallowed uncomfortably as Jess and Becker grinned at her. She shifted uneasily as Matt and Emily moved towards her. Her stomach lurched as Lester appeared from the kitchen, his normal half scowl replaced by one of contentment.

"I hear congratulations are in order, Miss Maitland."

"Uh, thanks?" Abby frowned in confusion as she moved quickly across the room and straight to Jess. "What is all of this?"

Jess shrugged, grinning. "I heard you were bringing home a new addition to your family today, and thought you could use a little celebration to welcome him or her. So? Where are they?"

Abby swallowed thickly, realization dawning. "Jess, it's *really* not what you're thinking."

She cocked her head to the side, laughter brightening her dark eyes. "C'mon, Abby… a playpen? Baby toys? Completing your family? Little feet on the floor? What else could it be?"

"Abby, can you grab some of the salad mix? I'm thinking Nan….Wha… Oh, boy." Connor walked into the room, his face going suddenly pale as he realized everyone they'd been trying to avoid stood not five feet in front of him.

Becker stepped forward. "So, I gather what Jessica had assumed is not exactly what occurred?"

Connor's face fell as Abby shook her head, both radiating guilt as they swallowed nervously.

"And you're about to tell us what you've gone and done, then?"

Connor scratched the back of his neck. "Well, y'see, it's not that complicated really. Kinda funny when you think of it…"

A small head peeked out from behind his legs, chuffing quietly as she observed the strangers in the room, squeaking as she settled on two very familiar faces.

"Connor? How did that rodent get out of the menagerie?"

Connor chuckled uncomfortably as Nancy waddled across the room, coming to a stop at Lester's feet, immediately picking up his shoelace and chewing on it.

"Yeah, well, first, she's not exactly a rodent by definition, more like a beaver… and second, well, if I'm being honest, we took her, Abby 'n me."

Matt walked up behind him, resting a hand on his back as he watched the small Diictodon nibble on Lester's leather shoe. "Just to play devil's advocate, but wouldn't Burton's exterminate all life outside of the menagerie program have prevented just this?"

Another chuff from behind and Sid wandered out of the bedroom, following his nose to Connor's feet, a demanding bump to his master's legs indicating he wanted picked up. Connor obliged, picking up the little creature and cuddling him in his arms. "Yeah, mate, its good to see you too. Though I think you could've picked a bit better a time."

"I dread to ask, Connor, but exactly how many creatures did you extract?"

"Uh," Connor glanced over his shoulder to where he could see the fruit crate sitting on their bed, a small green head stretching up over the edge, Rex stretching out his wings as he adapted to his new surroundings.

"Right. I didn't see this. I have no knowledge of this. When Burton questions it, I was never here. Plausible deniability, people, two simple words in the English language that apparently only I understand." Lester turned on his heel, moving towards the entrance to the flat.

"Oh, and furthermore… well done." He offered Connor and Abby an understanding nod before exiting the party, leaving his employees to their fun.

When the door closed behind Lester, Connor turned back to flash his gathered friends a guilty grin. "So, um, hey guys. Fancy finding you here, in me lounge, for no reason."

As the red flush travelled up his neck to his face, Matt started the laughter that proved to be contagious. Connor found himself filling Becker in on the program he'd so easily written to circumvent ARC security protocol. With an astonished shake of his head at the number of backdoors Connor had managed to write into control commands, Becker returned to Jess's side, the brunette eying the energetic Diictodons with uncertainty.

"What I don't understand is the playpen," she murmured, eyes tinged with hesitation. "They've proven in the past that they could chew through walls if necessary, why would you think that a few bits of plastic could contain them?"

Abby laughed lightly, "It's not to contain them, it's to give them a safe spot in their new environment to allow them to settle in with minimal stress." She shrugged apologetically. "I'm really sorry, Jess, we should've told you but we figured the less people who knew, the better, yeah? We meant to tell you when we got them home tonight, but well… y'know." She gestured lightly around the crowded room.

"Yeah, 'n don't worry much about 'em. We'll find our own flat before they can damage anything, yeah? Well, not much. Not beyond repair, anyway." At Jess's started look, Connor raised his hands defensively. "No, no, no! They're really quite good when they've settled in. Litter trained 'n everything, 'n I pretty much had Sid off chewing on shoes before we'd gone. Fabrics not so much, so if you could hang your clothing for a bit, that'd be best all around, I think."

"Shoes? Clothes?"

Becker draped an arm across Connor's shoulder as Jess wandered off in a somewhat startled state. "You realize if they do any harm, I'll have to ensure you pay for it, and knowing Jessica, that'll likely mean a great deal of pain."

"Yeah, I know." Connor's tone was slightly dejected as he cuddled Sid close to his chest.

"Not to the creatures."

"Look, Jess, I promise it'll only be for a bit longer 'n Abby 'n I'll have our own place." His dark eyes swam pleadingly as he turned his softest, most innocent expression in her direction. He watched quietly as the brunette began to melt, Nancy's chubby little body rubbing up against her legs, her soft chuffing irresistible. Jess reached down and picked up the little creature, stroking the back of her head softly.

"Yeah, I suppose it can't hurt to have them around for a bit. Might liven the place up a little, don't you think?"

With that the tension in the room broke, more laughter broke out as Emily and Matt stood by the gift table Jess had put together, covered in bags and small boxes, all purchased for the child she'd expected her flatmates to be bringing home. Emily poked into some of the bags, pulling out a baby harness and a diaper genie, flashing Matt a look of confusion. He held up a hand and shook his head softly, amusement sparkling in his crystal eyes.

Sid and Nancy settled in between Connor and Abby on the sofa, their little squeaks and chuffs displaying their pleasure at finally being home with the ones they loved. Rex eventually soared out of the bedroom, taking perch in the kitchen as he watched out over the crowd. Time passed and one by one their friends left, Jess following them to the door to say goodbye. Becker was the last to leave. Jess went with him, closing the door behind her as she followed him outside. Abby leaned back against Connor on the sofa, shifting the Diictodons gently to arrange them better on her lap as she curled up against him.

Connor chuckled softly as he softly stroked her hair. "Well, that was a bit… unexpected."

Abby echoed his laughter, closing her eyes, listening to Rex's soft chittering as he glided down to lay behind them on the back of the sofa. "Nothing ever goes quite right with us, does it?"

Connor took a moment to look around the room, at his beautiful Abby laying peacefully in his arms, at his beloved pets grumbling peacefully in their sleep, at his life spread out in front of him, the possibilities endless. He could finish what Cutter started, fix what Helen had seen, do something positive when for far too long there had only been negative. He had seen purity, in the Cretaceous world, in Abby's love, in the innocence of creatures that they'd inadvertently left behind. He tightened his hold on Abby, until her bright blue eyes met his dark gaze, and for a moment everything was perfect.

"Nope, never goes quite right, and thank God for that. All that matters is that at the end of the day, it's you 'n me and our lot safe and sound."

With no argument to offer, Abby was left only to sigh softly. "Could get used to that," she murmured quietly.

"You will." He pressed his lips to the top of her head and closed his own eyes. "I promise."

He'd never meant two words more in his life.

~~~Fin

~~/

~~/

The prompt, in case you're wondering? "I'd like a little fluff - I miss Sid and Nancy, so I'd like the reunion with Connor and Abby when they returned from the cretaceous, maybe Connor sneaking them out of the menagerie for a celebration or persuading Jess to have them at the flat..."

Hope it filled the prompt to expectation... kind of took me on a wild ride, this one did! LOL


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